Author Archives: dougpanfalone

Camping Tip of the Day: Bring Your Friends!

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I know this may seem like common sense, but hear me out. The friends we have are friends because of the common experiences, hobbies, and beliefs we share. But the reality is that our friends don’t necessarily share all of our hobbies. I have some good friends who claim that camping is a waste of time. I have heard, “Why would I go camping when I’ll end up smelling like a campfire for days?” Or “why would I sleep in a camper when I have a perfectly comfortable bed at home?”toasted

One of my goals this year is to encourage more of my friends to enjoy the great outdoors. When Amy and I started this blog, our “mission statement” was to encourage people to camp more and provide resources (i.e. campground reviews, product reviews) in order to do so. America is a beautiful country and there is so much here to explore. I am so grateful for the opportunities I have to camp.  I once saw a quote that said, “Camping is cheaper than therapy”. I would 100% agree. Being out in the woods, breathing in the fresh air, and relaxing by the campfire can making any stressful work week better. Even better, camping with friends and enjoying the experience together.

There are many campgrounds that have group camping sections. You can rent out this area and have up to five or six campers. What better way to bond with your closest friends than to try the group camping section?

Some of your friends may resist the idea when you ask about camping. So, here are some ideas:

1. Suggest to your friend a campground nearby so if they really don’t like it the first night they have the ability to go home the next day.

2. Try to make it as comfortable as possible (within reason). Offer them any of your gear that will help with the experience. Your friend will not want to go out and buy a ton of camping equipment if they think they will not enjoy it to begin with.

3. Get input from your friends on what activities they would like to do while camping (fishing kayaking, hiking, just relaxing around the fire). Maybe even entice them with other common hobbies: “Bring your guitar so we can jam by the fire” or “I heard there is an outlet mall nearby!”

4. Before the trip, meet with your friend. Come up with a menu of the meals and who will do what. Again, any bit of “ownership” may persuade your friends that camping is a great time!

5.  If they are still resistant to come along – invite them for just the evening for a cookout and time by the campfire.  Who knows, once they visit they may get the camping “bug” after all!

6. Be open-minded. No matter what you do, in the end they still may not enjoy camping. You’ll have to accept it. Hopefully, though,  they will love it!

HAPPY CAMPING!!

Camping Tip of the Day: No Reservations

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Although this advice is completely out of character for me, I highly recommend taking a camping trip (7+days) with no reservations. Last June, Amy and I took an 11 day trip to Michigan without making any reservations ahead of time. Yes, it can be a bit risky. What if we would have gone to a campground and there were not sites available? However, the first two weeks of June are not high season for Michigan. Students are still in school until June 10th or so and the weather does not warm up until the end of June. So, it was a perfect time to go without reservations. For someone who needs a plan for everything, this trip was quite liberating for me. We camped somewhere for a while and when we were ready to leave, we packed up and hit the road. We never encountered a “no vacancy” situation. It was so nice to know that we were not tied down to any plan other than to find rest and relaxation in our camping experience.

Now, I would NOT recommend this during certain seasons. For example, I would not suggest heading to Florida during the Spring Break season without reservations. Nor would I suggest going anywhere during the 4th of July weekend without making reservations ahead of time. The chances of coming up empty-handed are too high.

But in the end, I still encourage you to try this, especially if you are the type-A personality (like me). You wouldn’t believe how freeing it is until you try it….

Sunrise over Higgins Lake

Sunrise over Higgins Lake

Camping Tip of the Day: Bring a Bird Feeder

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Bring a bird feeder? Really? Yes. If you’re like us, you enjoy viewing wildlife on your camping adventures. If you are camping in a wooded area, especially in a state or national park, birds are abundant. Why not bring a small bird feeder along so you can hang it on a nearby tree and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation?

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But Doug, our space is limited. I get that. We own a pop-up and we really have to pack it in a precise manner. However, you can find a small, inexpensive bird feeder at Wal-Mart, small bag of feed or suet bars, and pack it in the storage section of your camper.

Nothing is better than opening up the tent windows in our popup and watching the birds feed in the woods behind our campsite. It’s a nice way to wake up in the morning.

If you plan to do this, research the type of birds in the area where you will be camping. For example, if the area is known for Cardinals, bring sunflower seeds. If you bring the right type of seed you will have better luck seeing and hearing the birds.

HAPPY CAMPING!

Camping Tip of the Day: Use a Checklist

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One thing that has helped Amy and me prepare our camping trip is a checklist. Nothing is more frustrating than arriving at your campsite only to realize that you left your pillow or flashlight or worse yet; your beer (just kidding). Type out a checklist and save the document on your computer. As your camping needs change, you can always go back and revise the checklist. We often have different things to pack depending on the season/weather. A day before the trip, we print out the checklist and begin packing the camper. Having a pop-up, as opposed to a travel trailer, requires more thought on how we pack it. Our checklist is broken down into categories. Each category has a specific list of supplies.

1. Clothing/Cosmetics

2. Food and Cooking Supplies

3. Dog Stuff (we have two dogs that require all their toys and of course treats LOL)

4. Personal

5. Miscellaneous

The night before the trip, we begin packing the camper and SUV. As we put items in we check them off the list. Some items stay in the camper year round (i.e. campfire chairs, Dutch Oven, etc). However, we still double-check those items are actually in the camper and then we check them off. Over the course of the last two years, we have updated the checklist several times, the benefit of having it on the computer. If you really want to get tech-savvy, create the checklist on Excel and save the document on an Internet-based storage system, like Dropbox. Use your Smart Phone to access the document thereby never printing the document but always having the checklist in your pocket.

Not only do we use a checklist, we also have specific places where things go in the camper and the SUV. For example, our chairs, dutch oven, pie iron, and hot dog sticks go underneath the left-hand side storage compartment in the dining area of our pop-up. Our cooler is last to be packed in the back of our SUV.

Packing for a camping trip can be stressful, especially when you pack for 10+ day trips.  Camping is supposed to be fun and relaxing. Once you use the checklist and get into the routine of packing, this process will become less and less overwhelming.

HAPPY CAMPING!

Camping Tip of the Day

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If you are traveling with pets, prior to leaving for your trip, research the local vets in case of an emergency.  It would be a good idea to contact the vet ahead of time to find out what papers you should bring with you. Also, ask the campground if they have any suggested vets that have a reputation for great service. If they do not have a list of vets, contact the local Better Business Bureau. Happy camping!!!

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Will There be Camping in Heaven?

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In the spirit of the Christmas season, I decided to go a little on the religious side today. It’s an age-old quheaven 1estion….What’s heaven going to be like? As Christians we yearn for that day we meet our Maker but wonder what we should expect heaven to be like. One of my friends from church said, “I sure hope there are plenty of golfing greens there”. Sometimes you hear little kids ask their parents if Fido will be there in heaven when they get there. Many of my Christian friends say that it does not matter what will or will not be  in heaven, God will be there and that will be enough. His presence alone will satisfy our every desire. Amen!

However, in the last few years I have found myself really pondering this question. Two years ago I bought a book entitled, “50 Days of Heaven” by Randy Alcorn. Although Mr. Alcorn has never been to Heaven himself, he uses Scripture to help better explain how believers will spend their eternity. Each day is a 4-5 page devotional. After reading this book, I gained a better insight on eternity but still had the burning question; Will heaven include all the great blessings we had on earth, like camping?

heaven 5I almost feel like a child wondering about these things. But how cool would it be to walk the beaches of heaven with the Lord (imagine the Footprints Prayer) and that evening sitting around a campfire with old friends, family members, and new friends in the presence of God? Maybe the whole family takes a hike through the mountains of heaven, Jesus leading the way. Fishing with my dad and grandpa (who passed away many years ago). Reliving the childhood memories of camping with my mom. Sitting around the campfire playing the banjo with my wife’s dad, who I never had the privilege to meet. Although, I guess I will have to take banjo lessons first since I don’t officially know how to play. Maybe I will let him play banjo and I will play the guitar. My grandma Mathes will bake us some of her wonderful cherry pies while grandma Panfalone makes the pizza she was known for. We will all share stories, some funny and some sad, of life on earth. I would join my brother-in-laws and their father exploring the wilderness of Heaven and taking part in their traditional adventures. In the “campground” in heaven, everyone would get along with each other. The sense of communiheaven 2ty that exists in campgrounds now on earth would only be magnified 10,000 times. In everything we would do, we would be doing so with the spirit of God. Campers would be willing to open their campsite to anyone, hospitality at its best. Sometimes we would take solo hikes into the woods and enjoy the beauty of the Creator; lush forests, breath-taking waterfalls, sunrises and sunsets. We will walk the pets we had on Earth on the trails of heaven, watching them run wild with the vigor of their youth. I am not sure how God would create a heaven warm and sunny for Vinny and at the same time cold and snowy for Mighty, but what I do know is that’s why heaven is worth waiting for.  I can only imagine how beautiful it will be…

Some may think I am a little on the crazy side for thinking about this, much less posting it. Yet, every time I camp, especially in a state park where nature and wildlife are abundant, I can’t help but to wonder. Buy maybe that is what God wants. He wants us to be grateful for the blessings he has given us on Earth and wonder about how we will spend eternity. The next time you go camping, take some solo time and be with Him. Enjoy the splendor of His creation. Take a hike in the woods. Cast a line in the lake. Watch the sun rise over the ocean or the sun set over the lake. Sit on a bench in the woods and listen to the birds sing. But whatever you do,  thank God for the blessing of camping and spend time with Him….heaven 4